Tag Archives: news

Facebook allows post-mastectomy photos following petition

Facebook has been forced to clarify its policy following a storm of criticism for removing post-mastectomy photos of breast cancer survivors. A Change.org petition had gathered more than 21,000 signatures since May, before Facebook issued a statement clarifying its policy against nudity. The petition, started by Scorchy Barrington who has breast cancer, asked Facebook to update its policy after photographer David Jay was banned for 30 days for posting post-mastectomy photos on his page, The SCAR Project. Barrington said the clarification was “victory” for everyone who had signed the petition and those living with the disease. “From now on, these powerful visual testaments to the real impact of breast cancer and the resilience of breast cancer survivors will be welcomed on Facebook, as they should be,” she said. She said the photos should not have been put in the same category as pornography. “They document the physical and emotional toll of women and men who have undergone mastectomies,” she said. “As a woman living with Stage IV breast cancer, photos like The SCAR Project help me feel a little less alone in what I'm going through. “By removing the photos, Facebook is sending us a message that our struggle with this disease should be kept in the dark.” The Facebook statement said the “vast majority” of post-mastectomy photos would comply with their policies. “We agree that undergoing a mastectomy is a life-changing experience and that sharing photos can help raise awareness about breast cancer and support the men and women facing a diagnosis, undergoing treatment, or living with the scars of cancer,” it said. You can see David Jay's photos at The SCAR Project. Click for more from news.com.au. source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/13/facebook-allows-post-mastectomy-photos-following-petition/

Man sues doctor, says penile implant gave him 8-month erection

A truck driver who says a penile implant gave him an erection that lasted eight months described in court Tuesday how the procedure caused him to withdraw from much of life, wearing long, baggy sweat pants and a long shirt to hide his condition. Daniel Metzgar, 44, of Newark, testified in New Castle County Superior Court in Wilmington in his medical malpractice lawsuit against Wilmington urologist Dr. Thomas Desperito. He told jurors the inflatable prosthesis made him feel like less of a man. Colleen D. Shields, Desperito’s lawyer, said in her opening statement that sometimes bad medical results occur through the fault of no one. She also said that the urologist told Metzgar the prosthesis had to be removed four months after the surgery when Metzgar complained of an infection and that the erection wasn’t going down. Shields said Metzgar didn’t do anything for months after that visit, the News Journal of Wilmington reports. Metzgar had the procedure in December 2009. He said he lost his insurance afterward and didn’t have $10,000 he said Desperito wanted before he would do the surgery. The prosthesis was removed in August 2010 after tubing from the device punctured Metzgar’s scrotum. He now has a replacement prosthesis from another doctor. But Metzgar says scar tissue from the first surgery left him about 50 percent smaller and he does not get the same level of sensation. Metzgar and his wife, Donna, are seeking unspecified damages from Desperito and his medical group.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/man-sues-doctor-after-penile-implant-gave-him-8-month-erection/

Babies who share bed with parents 5 times more likely to die of cot death

Babies sharing beds with their parents face a five-fold risk of dying of cot death, even if their parents are not smokers, new research shows. The increased risk of death extends to babies previously thought to be at low risk because they are breastfed and the mother has not taken alcohol or drugs, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal Open. The findings come after 1472 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cases and 4679 control cases from Australasia, the U.K. and Europe were analyzed in the largest ever study of cot death. The SIDS rate would plummet if parents avoided bed sharing and public healthy messages were more forceful about the dangers for babies under three months, the authors, led by Professor Robert Carpenter, said. “Eighty-eight percent of the deaths that occurred while bed sharing would probably not have occurred had the baby been placed on its back in a cot by the parents' bed,’’ the authors concluded. The risk of SIDs while bed sharing decreased as the baby gets older. Bed sharing has increased “markedly’’ over the last decade, the study found. Parents who endorse the practice are active on the Internet and Facebook. Murdoch University associate professor Catherine Fetherson said research shows between 30 and 50 percent of parents share a bed with their babies at some time. She believes a blanket message against bed sharing is driving parents underground. “They are continuing to do it, even though people are being warned against it and so what is happening is they are shutting down all communication with health professionals,’’ she said. Click for more from news.com.au.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/babies-who-share-bed-with-parents-5-times-more-likely-to-die-cot-death/

When it comes to cancer, information is power

Noreen asked me to fill in for her today.  Don't worry, she has actually been feeling better this past week.  She got to take a break from chemo, which always makes her feel better, and she learned her tumor markers dropped from 600 to 53!  We are very excited about that bit of news. The reason I am writing this week is because there has been a lot of attention given to the announcement by Angelina Jolie that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy with reconstruction when she learned she had the BRCA (BReast CAncer ) gene.   I, too, had the surgery after testing positive for the gene.  People, myself included, were stunned by Angelina's announcement.  When one of the most famous and arguably beautiful women in the world has a preventative mastectomy, it sheds a spotlight on the issue and reminds us that not even fame and fortune can save us from cancer.   Since Angelina “came out,” breast cancer advocates, doctors, news commentators and others have given their opinions on whether or not Angelina and other women with the breast cancer gene and/or breast cancer have made the “right” decision by having a double mastectomy. But there is no “right” or “wrong” in these situations.  No one wants a mastectomy . . . no one.  Women (and some men) choose the long, painful and disfiguring surgery to either remove cancer from their bodies or to try and prevent it when they have a greatly increased risk of getting breast cancer.    Angelina and I had an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer.  Eighty-seven percent! You have all followed Noreen's blogs.  She is one of my closest friends.  When I compared having a mastectomy to what she has endured, for me, a mastectomy felt like the better option.   Still, the message I want to send is that surgery is not the only option for women who have the breast cancer gene or otherwise have an increased risk. The important thing is that you don't keep your head in the sand.  Information is power.  You should talk to your health care provider and determine whether you are at an increased risk.   If testing for the breast cancer gene is recommended, just remember your life won't change if you find out you have it; you just have more information so you can explore more options.   Surgery is just one option.  Women at high risk are also eligible for increased screenings, which could help “catch” cancer early and give you a fighting chance if you do develop the disease.   Like I said, there is no right or wrong answer, but when you have all of the information, you can determine what option is best for you.     Noreen will be back next week.  Until then, keep up with her on Facebook    Michelle McBride is the President of the Noreen Fraser Foundation.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/15/when-it-comes-to-cancer-information-is-power/

Man dies after toothpick gets stuck in throat

A Swedish man has died after doctors failed to spot a toothpick stuck in his throat. The man, who was in his 60s, accidentally swallowed a toothpick while eating a sandwich, The Local reports. The next day, he was taken to the emergency room after having trouble swallowing. However, the doctors who examined him failed to find any problem and sent him home. Ten days later, he developed a hole in his windpipe and an infection that required emergency surgery. The man hemorrhaged during the operation and died the next day. Click for more from news.com.ausource : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/14/man-dies-after-toothpick-gets-stuck-in-throat/